The most thought-provoking film on this list is surely Michael Hanekes (first version of) Funny Games, a movie whose fourth wall is onion-skin thin. Within the past few years, Drew Goddards Cabin In The Woods and Aaron Mooreheads overlooked Resolution also attempted to do something that Funny Games did, which is hold a mirror up to the (admittedly off-kilter) type of person who makes up a horror-movie audience. All of these films pull off a fantastic feat (to varying degrees) in that they work as independently successful entries into the genre but also force the audience to acknowledge that they enjoy watching violent and horrific imagery, usually without questioning why. Why do you want to see someones home invaded? A cry for help gone unheard? An innocent wife, child, or family pet brutally murdered? The fact that the violence is on a screen and not in the room is somewhat like a safety bar on a rollercoaster - people want to feel the rush of adrenaline when the threat of violence or death is impending, but also the sense of security that theyll come out the other side unscathed. There is no sense of relief at the end of Funny Games. The smiling killers in the film will never be caught and never brought to justice, so long as there are viewers like you who enjoy watching them work. Like this article? Got any to add? Let us know in the comments section below.
Joe Sippy grew up in Chicago and now resides in Los Angeles. He enjoys corn dogs, rap music, and horror movies. On weekends you can find him in the ocean, surfing very poorly.
